HOLLOW (THE IMMORTAL ARCHIVES #4) Surprise Release!

The fourth installment of the Immortal Archives is finally here!

They won't even see it coming...

The pure line has flourished silently for thousands of years, their secrets unbeknownst to even their closest fellow supernaturals. But the force that wiped out their numbers in the beginning has returned to finish the job, striking against the pures with invisible monstrosities only Emily and Ruby can see. Badly outnumbered and short on time, this battle will bring about a dark and deadly reality no one is ready for.

New Adult Urban Fantasy
Release Date: May 14, 2018

Now Available!
eBooks: Amazon US, UK, DE, IN, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU, Nook, Kobo, Google Play. 

Paperback pending.

A Darker Past by Jus Accardo (ARC)

A Darker Past (Darker Agency #2)
Jus Accardo
Pub: November 11, 2014

The past is Darker than they thought...

Between helping her mother with the Darker Agency and laying the smack down on monster baddies, Jessie Darker puts the “normal” in paranormal. But lately, things have gotten a little crazy...even for a smart-assed half-demon teenage girl.

For starters, Jessie’s been contracted into fifty-five years of annoying servitude. To a demon. Then there’s Lukas Scott, her sexy new boyfriend. Once the former incarnation of Wrath, he’s been going through some...uh, changes. Like residual anger. And trading chaste hangouts for lusty make-out sessions.

But it’s when Lukas and Jessie accidentally release a Very Nasty Demon that things get really bad, setting into motion a chain of death and mayhem that threatens both Earth and the Shadow Realm. Jessie has exactly four days to fix it...before all of Hell breaks loose.

First off, I'll admit I haven't read the first in this series, but I didn't let that deter me from diving right in. I loved Jessie's sarcasm, especially in the first quarter of the book. Her snarkiness seemed to fade a bit from there, but she occasionally graced me with something sassy to lift my mood. Her boyfriend Lukas is recovering from being Wrath's b*tch for way too long, forced there by his crazy ex, and is now under the tutelage of Jessie's Father in hell, but can go back and forth freely. Well, mostly freely like Jessie, who finds herself being sucked into hell every the demon she's now in servitude to decides to beckon her to his semi-creepy side to do a job for him.

While checking out something for her family's demon agency, Lukas' crazy ghost of an ex goes mental and ends up setting loose a demon that had been trapped. And since Jessie's family had a hand in putting him there, he unleashes his vengeance on every member of the Darker family and the ones they love. Who will survive his wrath before he can be trapped again?

A Darker Past started off strong and was a decent story, though it began to drag for me about half way through. I think that might've just been me though. I was enjoying Jessie's sarcastic thoughts so well, that when her sassiness began to fade a bit, it made the story come off a little more ho-hum for me. But I think most people who like this genre will be more than happy with Miss Accardo's world of demons. And romance lovers will be sated with the lustful-yet-still-respectful relationship between Jessie and Lukas, who find being similar in the fact that they're both demon-newbies just a little stressful on the ole love life.

3.5 Dreamcatchers. ARC provided by Entangled Teen for honest review.

Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey (ARC)

Whisper the Dead (The Lovegrove Legacy #2)
Alyxandra Harvey
Exp. Pub.: October 9, 2014 Tomorrow!!!

Gretchen is struggling with her newfound gift as a Whisperer; the constant buzzing in her ears from detecting spells is more frustrating than fun, especially when she is spending time with one of the Order of Iron Nail's Keepers, the icy but strikingly handsome Tobias Lawless. But while Gretchen tries to hide the truth and resolve her feelings for him, London fades from beautiful and bustling to deathly silent ...Something evil is once again menacing Mayfair, and Gretchen and her cousins must use their powers to prevent a horrible sacrifice.

The Lovegrove cousins are back after bottling the Greymalkin sisters into magical containments. Whisper the Dead focuses more on Gretchen this time as she tries to learn her craft - whispers tell her what type of spells are being cast and if anything can be used to make a particular spell stronger. She tries to focus her power into discovering why the wards in the city are going haywire and why elements once contained in certain areas are expanding their turf. But having constant supervision by the Keepers isn't helping her become more attuned to anything other than her rising agitation for her personal new shadow, Tobias Lawless.

 

Hmm... Where to begin. I liked this story, I did. But something felt off about it. I had no problem putting it aside to read other books, which is rare for me when I actually like the story enough. I love Gretchen and Emma especially, and I have the feeling Penelope will get her turn to shine in the third installment. And I love their beaus. Cormac is perfectly sweet for Emma and Tobias is just the kick in the skirt Gretchen needs, and vice versa. Quite honestly, the relationships are what keep me intrigued enough to continue the story, because there are so many things thrown at me I just find confusing. Especially all the magical charms and spell ingredients. Every time I turn around some obscure object is used to ward off something else. Pretty soon I'm sure an chocolate-coated acorn will be used to scare away a squirrel. How the hell do they keep it all straight, because it lacks consistency. Still, the main plot circling the Lovegrove cousins and the Greymalkin sisters is interesting enough to see where this is going to go.

ARC provided by Bloomsbury Childrens for honest review.

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey (ARC)

A Breath of Frost (The Lovegrove Legacy #1)
Alyxandra Harvey
Pub.: January 7, 2014

In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld.

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies.

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away? 

Lordy. Where to begin? A Breath of Frost begins with three cousins attending a party in historical society. Emma's mother had long gone mad, and found comfort pocketing an old perfume bottle of hers, which accidentally gets broken and unleashes a massive spell that was binding not only Emma's powers, but that of her two cousins. But apparently, it also opens several gateways to the Underworld that change locations every day, and out with them came the Greymalkin sisters, another trio of powerful witches who had already been banished by the Order. And with them come several witch deaths that Emma is drawn to - which is bad luck, because now the Order believes she's the one responsible for offing them so the Greymalkin sisters can steal their powers. The only way to get them temporarily off her back is to board at a finishing school for young witches, and to work with her cousins, a Madcap named Moira and her on-and-off love interest Cormack to figure out who is really behind the attack, and stop it before the Order permanently removes Emma as a threat to society.

 

Consume by Melissa Darnell (ARC)

Consume (The Clann #3)
Melissa Darnell
Exp. Pub.: August 27, 2013

These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Tristan Coleman has survived the change from Clann magic user to vampire, much to Savannah Colbert's joy—and despair. By changing the Clann's golden boy and newly elected leader, even to save him from death, she has unleashed a fury of hatred and fear that they cannot escape.

As the Clann and the vampire council go to war, Tristan and Sav face a new threat—a fracturing of the all-consuming bond they share. To fight for peace, they must forge a new trust and risk everything to take down their deadliest enemy, even as they must run for their lives. Soon they will learn that some bonds are stronger than love—and some battles cannot be won without sacrifice.  

Sniff - hard to believe this trilogy has come to a close. Tristan and Savannah are one of my all-time favorite power couples. It had everything. Paranormal powers. Check. Forbidden romance. Check. Kick-ass hero and heroine. Check-check. Awesome author. Check.

Consume killed me. Not because of the story, although a few loop-de-loops did take me by surprise. But because after everything Tristan and Savannah had gone through, to the point Sav was forced to save Tristan's life and alter his genetics forever, it killed me that so much indifference came between the two that the stability of their relationship teeter-tottered, and you're left worrying if these two could make it through to the end. The only thing I felt Consume lacked was the angst that drove the first two novels so well, keeping me glued to the pages, waiting for these two to find a way to be together. And here they were, finally together but still apart, both so stubborn they wouldn't budge - hence the lack of angst. I sort of wish one of them (or both!) would pine hard enough for the other we'd get that, but since they could read each other's mind, it would have made it appear the other would cave, so no go.

I'm not going to get into the story anymore than the synopsis allows, but fans of The Clann series will be happy with the way it all pans out, but still wishing they could get a little more of Savannah and Tristan.

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard (Indie)

Bloodspell (Bloodspell #1)
Amalie Howard
Pub: June 1, 2011

The spell was simple... Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood).  But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?  

I'd like to give you the 4-1-1 on this novel, but I honestly don't remember too much of it, even though I finished just a few days ago. I'm not gonna lie, it took me awhile to read Bloodspell. The story seemed to drag on with very little action to keep me hooked (at least until the end, where it finally commanded some respect). I was actually looking forward to reading about not only a powerful witch, but a cursed one. In this department, Bloodspell delivered, because Victoria could do some awesome stuff. But sadly, the magical aspect of this novel was all I could categorize in the awesome department.

 

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins (ARC)

School Spirits (School Spirits #1)
Rachel Hawkins
Pub Date: May 14, 2013

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?   

Covet by Melissa Darnell (ARC)

Covet (The Clann #2)
Melissa Darnell
Exp. Pub: September 25, 2012 TOMORROW!!!

Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.

Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.

Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for.

A reckoning is coming...and not everyone will survive.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Romeo and Juliet had it easy compared to these two. If you can't find it in your heart to root for Savannah and Tristen, me thinks it's made of stone.

Ordained Blog Tour and Giveaways! (INT)

The Ordained Blog Tour is now underway! To celebrate, I'll be giving away a couple of paperbacks, several eBooks and lots of bookmarks at various sites. To find out where to enter, just head over to my tour page!

Ordained tags: Urban Fantasy, Hunters, Magic, Witches, Demons, Mythology, New Adult

Normally, the school creates the hunters - not the monsters.

Abby Sorrensten likes to play rough. Ripping the horns off the heads of demons, manipulating lightning and setting things on fire with the flick of your wrist can give you a serious rush. So she probably wasn't the best choice for the Order's experimental training program. Thirteen years of isolation, lack of affection and a bruised and broken body from horrendous training sessions creates more than just an exceptional fighter. It creates an evil within - an evil responsible for the several deaths the night she left.

Two hundred years later Abby resurfaces as the very thing the Order trained her to kill: a vampire. A mythical demon has set his sights on the school and only the ordained hunter has the powers to face it. Unbenknownst to the Order, Abby's their precious ordained one and their only chance for survival. As much as she would love to leave them hanging, she's not willing to risk the life of Emily, a fellow friend and hunter also fed up with the organization.

But for Abby, locking herself away in a fortress filled with angry descendents of those she killed causes suspicions and tensions to run high. Abby must learn the demon's weaknesses for battle before the Order learns hers.

 

Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade

Something Witchy This Way Comes
Veronica Blade

Synopsis: Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her hope of an escape from her inadequate life. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s objective. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other.

When Hayden Anders, the most delinquent kid in school — and the toughest — offers self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, the timing couldn’t be better. Though the idea of hanging out with a bad-boy that tempting is unnerving, staying alive amidst warring witches takes priority. She vows to hold onto her values and not surrender to the bad-boy she begins to secretly want.

Together, Tessa and Hayden uncover the truth about the two factions — a truth that explains why the covens will stop at nothing to lure her to their side. Tessa has only a matter of weeks to form an alliance with one coven or the other, but the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all those she loves — including Hayden.

Bleh heh heh...lots of romance scenes in this one.  J

This book jumps right to the point of the story, with Hayden, a delinquent that knows how to protect himself, being asked to look after fellow classmate Tessa until the proper protection detail arrives to do it themselves. The only reason Hayden does it is because the school administrator said he could make quite a bit of his misbehavior disappear from his permanent file and help him get his grades up a bit before graduation. Lucky for them Hayden’s trying to turn his life around and willing to go along with it cause he had no idea what he’d really gotten himself into. And neither did poor Tessa, who finds out she’s coming into some magical powers. Not really a bad thing, but there are two covens out there that expect her to take a side in a war that’s been going on forever. Both have hidden objectives that make it difficult for Tessa to choose, especially when she learns her older sister’s choice got her killed.

What I really enjoyed the most was the romantic tension between the two as they were now forced to spend all their time together. Hayden is a little bit free with the women…well, actually, he’s quite the hound dog. Tessa had one bad experience with a guy and finds it hard to trust any of them, particularly Hayden, who hooks up with a girl everywhere he goes. But she can’t deny an attraction is growing for him exponentially, and his jealous behavior every time a guy moves in on her proves he’s having the same problem.

I loved this book. The plot moved smoothly, as did their relationship and I enjoyed every minute of their frustration. Alright, there were times when I wanted to smack Tessa and tell her to get over Hayden’s past and realize he was trying really hard to better himself for her, but mostly, I just loved it. J Something Witchy This Way Comes is definitely for mature audiences and worth every minute you spend reading it!

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Crave by Melissa Darnell (ARC)

Crave (The Clann #1)
Melissa Darnell
Pub Date: October 25, 2011

Synopsis: Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

Romeo and Juliet had it easy compared to these two...

Savannah and Tristan are descendents from a line of witches called The Clann. When the two were just twelve years old, they had a pretend wedding; the end result: Savannah's family got kicked out of The Clann and Savannah shunned by all their children. Once high school began, Savannah was all but used to their taunts and misbehavior, but the attraction for Tristan still ran deep. When Savannah gets really sick her freshman year, her single mother finally tells her the truth. Her father was not only a vampire, but an incubus, meaning Savannah can draw energy from both blood or a kiss, which is why The Clann freaked out when she kissed Tristan, their leader's son.

Now Savannah's drowning in rules. Stay away from the members of The Clann, whose blood she'll crave most. Never use magic - don't even think about trying to learn on your own. Oh, and yeah, you can never dance again, or play sports, or trully participate in anything  because vampires excel beyond humans abilities with everything they do and you'll only draw attention to their species. Do any of these things and you'll instigate a war between the species. No pressure there...Oh, and members of The Clann and a few vampire watchers are everywhere spying on you just waiting for you to screw this up...but no pressure!

Miserable, Savannah moves forward with her life the best she can, fighting hard to find some enjoyment. The vampires ruined her chances to join the Charmers, the school's drill team, but they wouldn't stop her from becoming one of their managers so long as she promised not to be a backup dancer. But Savannah's slowly becoming her father and his incubus abilities are seeping through. She accidentally gaze-dazes a few boys and sends them into psycho-stalker mode, drawing the attention of Tristan, who still secretly longs for Savannah too. He secretly uses his magic to set them right and decides enough is enough - he'll do whatever it takes to be with her, even if her kiss will slowly drain his life away.

With the way Crave ended, I have a feeling I'm gonna be a little mad at Covet, cause I see the huge freakin' bump in the road for Tristan and Savannah's relationship. And I was really enjoying their secret rendevous. But now that it's out, everyone will be at the brink of war and the two will be ripped apart. But at least I'll still have their dream connection to swoon over. Sigh...

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.